The present disclosure generally relates to a nerve coaptation apparatus and, more particularly, to a microsuture-less nerve coaptation apparatus having relatively-movable coupling members to inhibit nerve compression in the event of, for example, nerve swelling.
Microsurgery (that is, surgery aided by use of a microscope) is used in various types of medical procedures that treat relatively small bodily structures, such as coaptation of severed nerves. In this case, the procedure typically involves using a relatively small suture to connect the severed ends of the severed nerve segments. This facilitates axonal growth to fuse the nerve segments, which ideally restores some degree of nerve functionality.
Unfortunately, nerve coaptation microsutures have several limitations. For example, connecting severed nerve segments with a microsuture is a relatively long procedure that requires considerable surgical experience. Furthermore, the outcome of such procedures are typically considered poor due to relatively long recovery times (for example, up to several years) and limited nerve functionality (for example, less than 20 percent of original nerve functionality).
Nerve coaptation couplings have been proposed for use in addition to microsutures in an attempt to address the above limitations. Such couplings typically include a sleeve that houses and isolates the ends of the severed nerve segments, and pharmaceutical agents can be incorporated into the sleeve to promote axonal growth. Unfortunately, such devices inhibit nerve swelling proximate the ends of the severed nerve segments, which inwardly compresses the nerve segments and can adversely affect nerve regeneration.
Considering the above, what is needed is a nerve coaptation apparatus that addresses one or more of the shortcomings of microsutures and previous coaptation devices.